Herald's Silence
by Shadow Flare
Summary: VERY AU, : The Heralds live among us...but as the worlds turns and times change, their secret may not be kept for long...ATTENTION: I HAVE COME TO A DECISION, DUE TO LOTS AND LOTS OF PRESSURE FROM LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE! (Boy, do I hate pressure!)
1. Shadows of the Past

Herald's Silence  
An AU Valdemar fanfic  
By Shadow Flare  
  
*Everything that you recognize as belonging to ML belongs to her, not to me, though all original characters are mine. This is VERY AU, so don't flame me about that. OOC characters, too.*  
  
Chapter One: Shadows of the Past  
***  
Blackness. There was nothing but blackness. She could see nothing, but she knew that she was in the midst of a battlefield. And there was emptiness, where once two loves greater then all had been. The girl lay on her back, blind, dazed, and tired, all the nodes tapped out. She was going to die...alone. Velgarth would fall...and she would fall with her world. She Felt her friends die around her, one by one, until she alone was left. But there were some people left, all of them Gifted...too young to fight, barely trainees, but they could carry on. If only...if only she could create a bridge!   
A bridge somewhere away from here. To a new world, where the Darkness had not yet penetrated to. Hanna invoked Mage-Sight, and found one last node, more powerful then all the rest, that the Dark Adept had not yet been able to tap. That would be enough...she still had enough strength somewhere inside her that combined with the raw node-power would form a bridge to another world, to save those trainees with their Gifts and their Companions-and those few Bards and Healers who remained-to save them all, so that one day, their descendants could go up against Leareth, and destroy him utterly. This would be her legacy. She reached out, and touched the mind of Princess Leshia, one of the Gifted Herald trainees: the Heir had not yet finished her training, though she was close, and so had escaped the battlefield.   
:Leshia.: she Mindspoke the Herald-trainee.   
:Hanna?! You're still alive?!: the girl Sent back.   
:Not for long. I'm going to do something that's going to kill me, but save the rest of you. Otherwise, we're all gonna die. I have nothing left to live for, anyway...both Arel and Danyen are dead.: Hanna grimly said, trying not to break down at the memory of her Companion Arel and her lifebonded, Danyen, both now dead. :So I might as well go out doing something worthwhile.:  
:What are you going to do?: Leshia asked.   
:Create a bridge to another world, so all of you can escape. I'll make sure Leareth cannot follow you, but after that, you're on your own. All of you assimilate into the new world's population, but maintain Silence...only those of the new world Chosen or having Healer or Bardic Gifts can know of your existence, and they must keep Silence. Until the day when your descendants are strong enough to combat Leareth and win, that is. Remember everything, remember it all. They will need to know. Goodbye, Leshia.:  
:Goodbye, Hanna.: Leshia said, as Hanna dropped the Mindspeech thread, drawing on the node-power, spinning the bridge into another realm...Earth, the name called to her. No magic there, besides what the Heralds, Bards, and Healers brought...Leareth wouldn't want that world. (Goddess, grant me strength.) she prayed, as she carefully hid what she was doing from Leareth. The Herald-Mage snapped the bridge into place. :NOW!: she yelled in Broadsend-mode, and she Felt as the last refugees fled Velgarth. When they were gone, Hanna shut down the bridge, feeling her life spin away with those threads.   
She Felt the dark presence in front of her. Leareth. He had not found where she had Sent the Herald, Healer, and Bardic trainees: she knew because he would have caught the bridge and stopped their crossing. But Hanna didn't have enough strength left to care, as she spun her presence outward, to Earth...she created a new Web, and the four Herald-Mage Guardians would be Leshia of the North, her new Queen's Own, Darian of the East, Destria of the South, and Sylvan of the West. Leshia and the others knew what to do.   
And Hanna dropped into darkness. (Danyen, please be there-) she thought, as she died...  
Leareth stared down at the Herald-Mage named Hanna Adele, and his face took on a wrathful expression once he realized that she was dead and beyond his reach. Her heavily silver-streaked blond hair fell in silken tendrils around her head, falling over her face, and her silver eyes were still open, the light already fading. But his rage faded once he realized that she would be reincarnated, if not now, then someday.   
"Someday, Hanna." He said to the air. "You will return, and then you will be mine."   
And the Dark Adept's laughter was the only sound in the doomed world of Velgarth. "And you cannot escape."   
***  
Vanyel Ashkevron woke, and was cold. The boy's silver eyes opened: it was dawn, or nearly. This wasn't the first time he'd had the same dream about the girl named Hanna Adele, who was a Herald-Mage- whatever the hell that was. And every time, he woke up in a cold sweat: it always ended with that Leareth person laughing manically about his plans to catch up with that Hanna girl.   
And for some reason, the whole scene seemed familiar somehow...like he had lived it, very long ago. Vanyel bit his lip, thinking, as he slid out of bed and dressed, in his typical all-black. His father hated him dressing as a Goth, and of course, Vanyel did it anyway, to spite his father. Besides, he liked all black.   
(And today, he's shipping me off to Aunt Beastly.) he thought, remembering the conversation between his parents that he'd heard, and his father's confirmation of the fact to the entire family. (And I bet that he's told her everything bad about me he can, and told her how he wants her to train me. Including the scrapping of my clothes, if possible.)   
Savil Ashkevron was a teacher at a public high school in Alexandria, Virginia, on the other side of the country. (Well, at least I'm getting out of California, I never liked it here anyway.)   
Vanyel sardonically regarded his suitcases. (Pretty fine life I've led, when all of it fits into two suitcases. And a backpack. And two instrument cases.) On his bed were two instrument cases, one containing a flute, the other a violin. (Savil demanded that I bring the violin and the flute, because she wants me to help teach one of her students how to play the flute and Savil wants to learn to play the violin. I can't believe Father agreed, though. But other then teaching the girl-Lyn Littrell, I think- and Savil, no music. Certaintly no arts classes.)   
Withen Ashkevron yanked open the door, and was surprised to see his oldest son awake, packed, and dressed.   
"As you can see, sir, I am ready already." Vanyel said coldly, putting the flute case into his backpack, and sliding the backpack on, followed by the carrying strap of the violin case, then picking up the suitcases. Withen gaped for a moment, but his composure soon returned, and he ordered curtly for Vanyel to come with him and out the door, and in minutes driving away to the airport.   
***  
"Where is he?" the girl asked, twisting around in the hard seat, her book "Dragonflight" temporarily forgotten in her lap.   
"The flight was delayed." Savil Ashkevron told the girl. "Lyn, settle down. I know you're impatient, but sit still."   
Tylendel Frelennye rolled his eyes at Lyn, who hit him with her book. Savil's other proteges, Donni and Mardic, were trying hard not to laugh at their friends' antics, and were failing.   
"This is not what I need." Savil muttered. "Having to deal with a spoiled brat of a nephew in addition to four proteges."   
Lyn shrugged. "It's not my fault Tylendel's a slow learner." she said with an absolutely straight face.   
"That is such a case of the charcoal calling the kettle black!" Tylendel countered. "You were Chosen when you were 10, and it took you a year to learn to ground and center! You've been a trainee for six years!"   
Lyn whacked the blond again with her book. Savil made a warning noise.   
:We do have Silence to maintain, you know.: she said to all four of her proteges. :Now, if you must argue and act foolish, argue about something else.:   
People from the flight suddenly flooded through the doors.   
"Who are we supposed to look for?" Lyn asked. "What does this 'Vanyel' look like?"   
"He's carrying a violin case." Savil said dryly. "That's all I'm saying for now."   
"Great help you are, Savil." Lyn commented acidly.   
"How many sixteen-year old boys carry a violin case?" Tylendel asked, as the crowd disapated. Finally, Lyn caught sight of the petite figure with black hair and silver eyes, who had a backpack and the strap of a violin case flung over his shoulders, and who was dressed like what people at Lyn-and her friends-'s high school called 'Goths'.   
"Savil-is that him?" Lyn pointed to the small newcomer.   
"That's Vanyel alright." Savil said dryly.   
"He can't be more then 5'3" tall! No wonder we couldn't see him, little slip of a thing that he is. And he looks like a girl." Lyn commented. "Stop staring, 'Lendel. We don't need the whole airport knowing that you're shay'a'chern." The dark-haired girl waved at Vanyel, trying to beckon him over.   
Vanyel sighed looking around the airport. (Where is Aunt Ice anyway?) he thought, just as he was almost knocked over. He managed to stay on his feet, and looked around, seeing a tall girl with long dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, who was waving at him, obviously trying to call him over. Beside her, he saw a tall blond boy about his age-who the girl then whacked with her book-, and behind the two was his aunt. Vanyel invoked his walls of indifference, and went over to them.   
"Took you long enough to get here." the dark-haired girl commented.   
"Lyn, you're too impatient." the blond said, and got whacked in the head with a book for his trouble. "Stop that, you're giving me a headache."   
:What do you think?: Savil Mindspoke Tylendel in Private-mode.   
:He's lovely, Savil.: the blond responded, and Savil rolled her eyes.   
:Besides *that*, youngling! I'd ask Lyn for her opinion, but she's falling asleep.:   
:How can you tell? I don't notice a difference.: Tylendel said dryly. 


	2. First Day

Herald's Silence   
by Shadow Flare  
  
*OOC characters!*  
Chapter Two: First Day  
Vanyel stared all around the crowded lunchroom, not having any idea where to sit, not even seeing any familiar faces.   
(This is nothing like my old school.) he thought. Mount Vernon High School was nothing like the private school his father had sent him-and the rest of his siblings-to. For one thing, it was very crowded.   
A girl's high-pitched giggle interrupted his brooding.   
"Hey, sit over here!" a pretty redhead called out. Sighing inwardly Vanyel made his way over there-he really had nowhere else to sit.   
In a matter of seconds he was bored. (I probably would have been better off standing the entire lunch...)  
"Done!" Lyn cried out joyfully as she slammed her algebra book shut.   
"Should I tell Savil you were doing her homework in lunch?" Tylendel asked with raised eyebrow.   
"I already did her homework. This is extra credit." Lyn replied absently.   
Tylendel pointed with his sandwich at the black-clad figure who looked rather bored, sitting at the other end of the lunchroom.   
"Isn't that Vanyel?" he asked.   
"Yeah, I think." Lyn responded. "He looks bored."   
"I don't blame him." Lyn's cousin Joseph Patrick "JP" Johnson said breezily as he tapped away on his laptop.   
"What are you doing?" his twin sister, Rosemary, asked.   
"Downloading anime pictures." JP said, cracking his knuckles.   
"Don't download any hentai ones." Chris Allen cautioned, as Justin Mensen grinned.   
"What? You're being unperverted for once?" Mela Terrel asked.   
"Nah, I just don't want the adminstrators bustin' our asses. They already don't like us." Chris drawled.   
"Come on, 'Lendel. Let's go rescue Vanyel." Lyn said, standing up.   
"I could do that on my own." Tylendel protested. "Which I was about to go do."   
"Not a good plan. Everyone knows your preferences...and Vanyel's reputation doesn't need to be wrecked because of rumors, it's already going to get wrecked because of one, the way he acts and dresses, and two, who his aunt is. Actually, probably the only reasons he's in the preps' favor are that he's good-looking, and his parents are rich."   
"No kidding?" JP asked.   
"None. I asked Savil. Her brother Withen-Vanyel's father-made a whole lot of money in the stock market, amazingly enough, and also has a big piece of property somewhere...full of oil." Lyn yawned. "But money doesn't buy happiness...Savil's not really what you would call rich, or even well off, but we're a lot happier then Vanyel's family is. His mother's an idiot, and his father...I wouldn't want to have his father!"   
"Are you going to stand there like an idiot?" Justin Mensen pointed out.   
"No." Lyn said, and walked toward the table.   
Vanyel stood up abruptly. (In one more second, I am going to go mad...)  
he thought.   
"You're lookin' bored." Lyn Littrell commented airily from behind him. "Can't say I blame you, considering who this lot of airheads are."   
"Why, it's Lyn." a blond girl said sarcastically.   
"Oh, hi, Helen." Lyn said sarcastically: it was obvious neither girl liked the other. "And I wasn't talking to you." she turned back to Vanyel. "Nothin' in that crowd but pretty faces and nothin' else. Mostly, anyway."  
(An excellent conclusion...I had come to that conclusion about three minutes ago.) Vanyel thought.   
"Why don't you come sit with us?" she continued. "We may not the most popular people around, and we aren't all pretty, but hell, we're a good deal more interesting."   
"Interesting doesn't say half of it." Helen snorted. "Crazy is more like it. And speaking of crazy, there's a prime example of crazy right there, and her name is Lyn Littrell."   
Lyn got out a pocket-sized dictionary from her purse, and pretended to flip to a section. "Bitchy...aha! I see that your picture is underneath the definition for the word!"   
"Cute, Lyn. Very cute." Helen said, sarcastically clapping her hands. "You'd better stay away from Lyn and her crowd, they'll rub off on you." she said to Vanyel.   
"We can hardly avoid each other." Lyn said sweetly. "We live in the same house."   
Helen sputtered. "How-"   
"I never told you my full name, did I?" Vanyel asked sarcastically. "It's Vanyel Ashkevron."   
"Ash-" Helen sputtered.   
"Vanyel's Savil's nephew." Lyn said mock-patiently.   
"It figures." Helen muttered. "With an attitude like that, he's got to be related to Sour Savil." she looked beyond Lyn, noticed Tylendel standing quietly there, and her blue eyes narrowed. "Well, if it isn't a certain blond fairy." those last words had an edge of disgust to them. "You really should read the Bible, Tylendel Frelennye. You're doomed to hellfire otherwise."   
Lyn's eyes narrowed, just as Tylendel pushed her aside.   
"Thanks for the advice, Helen, but no thanks." he said amiably. "I don't read the Bible, and I don't believe in hell, I'm not Christian. And I'm not a fairy...I don't wave around a wand, nor do I have wings. I am shay'a'chern, which is the proper name for it."   
"I don't care what you call it, you are still a sick, perverted person who is going straight to hell!" Helen told him. "As are the rest of your friends!"   
Lyn's eyes snapped sparks, and she pushed Tylendel backwards, straight into Vanyel, as she got right up in Helen's face.   
"Do. Not. Insult. My. Friends." Lyn said coldly. "You may call me anything you want, but DO NOT INSULT MY FRIENDS. Is that clear?"   
"As dirt." Helen sneered. Lyn's long fingers curled into a fist. Vanyel could tell that a fight was about to begin.   
Tylendel had other ideas. Quickly, he Mindspoke JP, Rosemary, Mela, Justin, and Chris, while stepping forward, next to Lyn.   
:Pack up and head to Savil's room. Lyn and Helen are at it again. I'm gonna haul Lyn outta here before anything else happens. It hasn't gotten physical yet, but it will, unless I get her out of here.:   
The other four teenagers assented.   
:Did Helen insult you? Or one of us?: Rosemary asked.   
:Dead in the black. Do you want me to repeat Helen's whole speech?: Tylendel asked. :She mostly insulted me, but in the end got all of us.:  
:Yeah, I'd like to hear it.: The Healer-Adept responded.   
:This starts from when she noticed me standing there.:Tylendel told her. :Quote, 'Well, if it isn't a certain blond fairy. You really should read the Bible, Tylendel Frelennye. You're doomed to hellfire otherwise...I don't care what you call it, you are still a sick, perverted person who is going straight to hell, as are the rest of your friends!' Unquote. Lyn got really mad.:  
:I'll bet. You helped her out of that depression, so she's gonna kick the ass of anyone who says a bad word about you-or anyone else she calls friend and cares for.: Rosemary said dryly. :Send Vanyel to me. I'll jump up and down and wave.:  
"Lyn. Back off." Tylendel said warningly, then turned to Vanyel. "I'll handle Lyn. But I suggest you get out of this area. When Lyn gets mad, really mad, not annoyed but mad, she gets mad, and it doesn't matter if you're her friend or not, if you're in her way, you'll get hurt." he took a quick look back and saw Rosemary standing on a chair, jumping up and down and waving. "You see that blonde girl back there? The small one who's jumping up and down trying to make sure that you see her? That's Rosemary Johnson, Lyn's cousin. Go over to her."   
Vanyel shrugged and followed Tylendel's directions, as the tall blond turned back to the two girls. He could Feel the anger flow between them, and he had to act to defuse this situation fast. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw JP, Rosemary, Chris, Mela, and Justin, followed by Vanyel, leave the room. 'Lendel considered his options carefully: projective Empathy might work on Helen, but it wouldn't work on Lyn: not only was she projecting anger out the roof, Lyn was also an Empath, and a strong enough one that with her powerful Mindspeech, was comfortably in the MindHealer class: Tylendel himself was nowhere near that category, his Empathy was not his strong suit at all. His low-level talent would do nothing against Lyn, not in the blind rage she was in.   
"Lyn. I said, back off." he said. She ignored him. 'Lendel noticed the security guards coming their way.   
"Don't say I didn't warn you." he said, then grabbed her around the waist, picking her up and slinging the girl over his shoulders like a bag of potatoes. Lyn didn't take kindly to being carried, or being denied the 'right' to finish the job.   
"PUT ME DOWN, TYLENDEL FRELENNYE!" she screeched. "I'M NOT THROUGH WITH HER YET!"   
"What are you doing, Mr. Frelennye?" Ms. Wilson asked.   
"Defusing a situation. I'm going to carry her all the way to Ms. Ashkevron's room...if anything can cool her off, it's going to be Ms. Ashkevron." Tylendel said. "Lyn was provoked...Helen-" he pointed at the girl. "Was insulting me and the rest of Lyn's friends, and Lyn got angry."   
"What kind of insults?" Ms. Wilson asked coldly.   
"Mostly insulting me about my preferences, and basically saying that me, Lyn, and our friends are going to hell." Tylendel said carefully. "I'm dealing with the situation right now..."   
Ms. Wilson gave Lyn and Helen sharp looks. "You're treading on thin ice, you two. Keep this up, and you'll both be written up."  
Tylendel carried Lyn out the door, with the whole cafeteria staring after them in shocked silence.   
"Ouch!" Tylendel then cursed, as Lyn's foot caught him in the back. "Stop that, I just saved your ass from getting written up!"   
"You should have let me finish the job." Lyn retorted, as he stopped in front of Savil's door. Tylendel considered the best way to open it, but just thought 'screw it', and used Fetching to open the door.   
Savil groaned as she saw Tylendel come through the door, Lyn draped over his shoulders. "Lyn. Don't do that again."   
"But that bitch-" Lyn got only part of her protest out, as Tylendel dropped her to the ground and swung the door shut. The girl got up, her ponytail swinging.  
"You are better then her, but by succumbing to her goading, sink to her level." Savil continued. "Do you want to be like her?"   
"No, Savil." Lyn said quietly.   
"You also have dignity, which you must keep. Is that clear?"   
"As crystal."   
"But, that is only during school hours." Savil said, a thin smile creasing her face. "After school and off school grounds, I don't care what happens. So give her as much as she deserves, and with my blessing. But you'll embarrass us all if you lose, so don't. And if you get caught, I have nothing to do with this."   
"Gotcha." Lyn grinned.   
"I can't believe this." Tylendel muttered.   
"But I'm not done with you yet, 'Lendel." Lyn grinned. "I'm going to get you for this."   
Tylendel clapped his hands sarcastically. "Oh, joy. Just. What. I. Need."   
Lyn glared. "Whatever. Do you want me to start cracking blond jokes?"  
Rosemary cleared her throat.   
"Oh, sorry, Rose." Lyn said. "Not for you...for 'Lendel."   
"Thanks, but no thanks." Tylendel said.   
"In that case, I challenge you to a game of Magic." Lyn said, hauling a deck of Magic: The Gathering cards out of her purse. Scott Summers, who had been waiting in the corner, came over to them.   
"But I didn't bring a deck!" Tylendel complained, just as Scott handed him a deck.   
"It's the only rainbow deck you'll catch me with." Scott said. Vanyel watched quietly as the two began playing. He'd wanted to learn how to play, but his father thought that the game was 'Satanist', and wouldn't let him learn.   
"Vanyel, from the way you're watching us, you must want to learn how to play." Lyn called as she 'cut' her deck. "Land."   
Tylendel cut his deck. "Five. I go first."   
"..." Vanyel didn't say anything.   
"Scott, teach him." Lyn called out as she watched Tylendel lay a land-a Mountain-and 'tap' it, playing a Seal of Fire. "Are you done, blondie?"   
Tylendel made a face. "Yes. And don't call me blondie."   
"I'm sorry, I just undignified you with Robert's name." Lyn said, as she drew her card and played her Mountain, bringing her own Seal of Fire into play. "I'm done."   
In about ten minutes, Vanyel had managed to grasp how to play the (very complicated) card game, though Scott had to keep reminding him to do such basics as untap lands at the beginning of his turn, and to tap creatures when attacking with them.   
"Mwa ha ha!" Lyn cackled.   
"I don't like the sound of that." Tylendel muttered, as Lyn tapped all eight of her Mountains.   
"Obliterate!" Lyn said, tossing down the card. "Clear the board, buddy!"   
"Damn!" Tylendel muttered, and 'cleared the board', putting everything but his hand into the graveyard, while Lyn did the same. "Is this your 'Switch Color' deck?"   
"Bingo." Lyn laughed.   
"Dammit." Tylendel muttered as he drew the card. "No frickin' lands."   
Lyn laid a Swamp-which she had been holding in her hand-tapped it, and played Dark Ritual.   
"Let me guess, Avatar of Woe." Tylendel said.   
"Good guess, buddy." Lyn laughed. "I love it when people play creature-heavy decks...when I clear the board, I can play Avatar for only two, since there are WAY more then ten creatures in our graveyards." She played the Avatar, and watched, grinning, as Tylendel finally got a land, but didn't have enough to play any cards.   
"I'm just glad this isn't your Puzzle Box deck...you read too many magazines." Tylendel muttered. "Stop gloating, woman."   
"I'm not done yet." Lyn grinned as she untapped her Swamp, played another, and tapped both, playing another Avatar. "Avatar Number Two, here she comes!"   
"What is this, the Avatar beatdown?" Tylendel muttered as he drew his card. "Damn, no land!"   
"And you're playing a rainbow deck. How sad." Lyn said mock-sweetly.   
"You destroyed all the others I played, even before that Obliterate." Tylendel muttered, as she untapped, played another Swamp, tapped two more, and brought one more Avatar into play.   
"I should fold, but I won't." Tylendel said, as he played a land, and then tapped both and brought a Seal of Cleansing and a Seal of Fire into play.   
"How stubborn of you." Lyn said, playing another Swamp, then tapping all four. "Avatar of Woe, two Unholy Strength."  
"You little bitch!" Tylendel cursed.   
"Honey, you're gonna die next turn." Lyn grinned, as Tylendel untapped his lands, and glared as he discarded a Rootbreaker Wurm, since he had too many cards in his hand. "Are you done?"   
"Does it look like it?" Tylendel asked. "Wait, I'm sacking the Seal, you take two."   
"I'm at 14. You, however, are at 8." Lyn grinned as she untapped her lands, and played a Swamp. She tapped four of them. "Rhystic Syphon, you take five. You're at 3, I'm at 19. I'm not done yet." she tapped the Avatars. "You're dead."   
"Damn." Tylendel muttered, and the two gathered up their cards, just as the bell rang.   
"Come on, Vanyel, we've got the same class." Lyn called out. "English. Let's go, before we're late."   
She fairly caught his collar and dragged him out the door.   
"What a first day." JP said, shaking his head sadly.   
"It's going to get far more interesting." Rosemary added, as they all walked out the door-except Tylendel, who had Savil's Algebra II/Trig class 7th period. "I'll bet you on that."   
~End Chapter~ 


	3. Dream-Sent

Herald's Silence  
by Shadow Flare  
  
Chapter Three: Dream-Sent  
***  
"Danyen!" a voice called his name, and Danyen Orie turned to see Princess Leshia running down the hall. The Herald-Mage trainee looked unhappy.   
"Leshia, what's wrong?" he asked his friend. The Heir gasped, all out of breath.   
"Leareth sent his envoy, like Mother said he would." Leshia said, her mouth twisted into a grimace, and hazel eyes irritated.   
"Hold on-he wants to negotiate a marriage with YOU?" Danyen said, surprised. "He's far too old for you, and you're still a trainee."   
"Not with me, he doesn't want me, thank goodness. I'd want Seryel to repudiate me before I'd marry Adept Leareth. No, he wants Hanna, the envoy said." Leshia told him unhappily. "Hanna's in the throne room right now, listening to all that rubbish the envoy's telling her. From the look on her face when I left, she is not thrilled with this at all."   
Danyen felt his heart drop. (Bright Lady, no!) he thought.   
"Mother's got a whole list of reasons drawn up why Hanna cannot marry Leareth, and knowing Hanna, she's got her own list of reasons why she can't possibly marry Leareth, and on the top of that list is the fact that she's lifebonded to you." Leshia commented.   
"I'd kill Hanna with my own hands before I'd see her marry Leareth." Danyen said coldly. "And then I'd kill myself, too."   
"Hanna would probably rather be dead then married to his Darkship Leareth." Leshia added. "Or dying a hideously painful death."   
Footsteps coming down the corridor told them that someone was coming, and they both whirled in surprise, to find Hanna standing there.   
Danyen saw that his beautiful lifebonded's face was angry, and her silver eyes held the fire of rage in them.   
"You've already heard about Leareth's proposal." Hanna said, her voice holding barely-contained anger. "He *knows* that I can't leave now, I'm needed here more then I am as his bride." the petite Herald-Mage began pacing. "He also knows that Arel won't let him within a thousand miles of me...she'd kick him if he tried. Hells, I'd kick him, too."   
"You told the envoy your refusal, right?" Danyen asked.   
"Not yet...Terilee sent me out, the envoy's giving me a week to think about that...I already made up my mind, even *before* he started talking." Hanna growled. "Leareth knows that I'm lifebonded already, hell, most of Velgarth knows, it's obvious that you and I are lifebonded. So what's he going to do about the lifebond?"   
Leshia cleared her throat. "From what I know about Leareth, he doesn't seem the type to be up for a threesome."   
Danyen began choking on his laughter, and Hanna stared at her for a moment as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard, and then started laughing.   
"I can't believe you just said that." Hanna sputtered.   
"I'm trying to lighten the mood. Listen, you have a week to craft a finely-honed diplomatically-correct way to say 'no' to Leareth but being careful not to insult or anger him." Leshia said. "I'm off now, I've got lessons."   
She waved and ran on down the hall.   
"What are you going to do, Hanna-ashke?" Danyen asked. She shrugged, slender shoulders shifting beneath her white tunic.   
"Say no, of course. Other than that...I have no idea." she said quietly, her silver eyes sad and reflective. "ForeSight is not telling me anything...so I guess we'll have to wait and see."   
Danyen took a step forward and gathered her slight figure into his arms, his chin resting on top of her silver-streaked blond head.   
"No matter what happens, Hanna, I'll always be with you." he said...  
***  
"WAKE UP, TYLENDEL!" Rosemary yelled. He opened one eye, cursed as Rosemary flipped the light switch and the bright light shocked his vision, and shut his eyes again, pulling a pillow over his head.   
"Go away." he muttered weakly. Rosemary grinned at him and tossed her blond head.   
"You can't get rid of me that easily, 'Lendel." the petite girl said cheerily.   
(5:30 in the morning is too early to be so damned cheerful...) Tylendel thought.   
"Whatever you've been smoking, I want some." Tylendel muttered. "It's got to be a federal crime to be so cheerful at 5:30 in the morning in the middle of August. Especially on a school morning."   
"As far as I know, it's not." the Healer-Adept responded, as pleasantly as he was grouchy. "Now get up. According to Savil, you have an hour to get your ass out of bed and ready, or we're leaving you behind."   
"She wouldn't be so mean." Tylendel moaned.   
"She most certainly would. Now, it ought to be a federal crime to begin school in August...it's the middle of August, and we've been in school for two weeks. Unfortunately, it's not." Rosemary's azure eyes sparkled with good humor: she and her twin brother JP were both very easygoing and good-natured, though JP was more goofy then her.   
"What kind of sense of humor do you have?" Tylendel grouched. Not only was it too early in the morning, it was also too hot for his taste: heat made him irritable. "You must be crazy."   
"I'm a Herald, Tylendel." Rosemary said, together with someone else-JP. "That's close to the point of actual craziness."   
JP bowed from the doorway, and exchanged a high-five with his twin.   
"Thanks a lot, you two." Tylendel said sarcastically. "I'm a Herald-trainee...so that makes me crazy too?"   
"No, just in need of MindHealing." JP quipped. "That's probably why Whites were invented."   
"What are you talking about, JP?" Tylendel said, irritation coloring his tenor voice. Under normal circumstances, JP's absurdity would be highly amusing, but this was scarcely a normal circumstance.   
"Whites were invented so that MindHealers could see Heralds at a distance and treat them immediately." JP said with a grin.   
"Amazing logic, Joseph Patrick Johnson." Tylendel said acidly, clapping his hands sarcastically. "When'd you figure that out?"   
"Your theory would make brilliant sense now, considering there are a lot of MindHealers, but what about the fact that most of them are HERALDS?" Rosemary said, the corner of her mouth quirked upward.   
"Name all the MindHealers you can think of." JP challenged her.   
"Me, for one. Lyn-"   
"Though she needs her own Gift the most-" Tylendel muttered sourly, and the other two ignored him.   
"Chris-"   
"Though a MindHealing Firestarter makes no sense." JP muttered.   
"Lancir is a MindHealer, and that's it for the Heraldic MindHealers. Then there are two MindHealing Healers: Rynee and that shy trainee, Talia." Rosemary continued. "That's the most MindHealers at one time I've ever heard of. Plus the fact that there are so many Firestarters..."   
"Me, Chris, Sean, Anh, and Griffon." JP added.   
"Is that good?" Tylendel asked sleepily.   
"Not very. I keep forgetting you're not a full Herald yet." Rosemary said. "Odd Gifts pop up when they're needed."   
JP stretched, and the tall Herald-Mage yawned. "Get up, Tylendel." he said, running a hand through his brown hair. "It's quarter 'til six."   
"Go away." Tylendel muttered, as JP grinned, his blue eyes sparkling.   
"Since I'm such a nice guy, I won't use Fetching." JP said, but he and Rosemary walked over to Tylendel's bed and yanked his blanket off, followed by the pillow over his head.   
Tylendel threw a pillow at them with Fetching, but it missed, since he wasn't fully awake yet.   
"Omae o korusu!" he growled irritably.   
"It isn't nice to threaten to destroy us." Rosemary and JP said at the same time.   
"Only on Wednesdays." Scott Summers said from the door.   
"Today's Tuesday, dumbass." Tylendel grouched, getting up.  
"Or so you think." Scott said.   
"Get out of here." Tylendel growled. Grinning like fools, all three left the room...  
Half an hour later, Tylendel fell down the stairs and ended up staring up at the ceiling downstairs.   
"Do you routinely try to kill yourself?" Savil asked archly.   
"No." Tylendel growled.   
"You have the hardest head in the world, youngling." Savil said amusedly.   
"When'd you figure that out, Savil?" Tylendel asked, sitting up and rubbing his head.   
"The moment I met you." Savil said dryly. Tylendel gathered up his bookbag-his government textbook had been digging into his right ankle-and hopped over to the table, wincing. He fell gracelessly into a chair and leaned his head on the table.   
"I'm so going to fall asleep in Ms. Block's class." He moaned. "I can barely keep my eyes open."   
"And she's going to give you her old-fashioned Ms. Block beatdown." Mickiala snickered, from where she was putting her violin into its case. "Like the one she gave Lyn for forgetting her notebook."   
"Shut up." Lyn growled.   
"And she's going to slam a book in front of your face to wake you up." Micki continued, ignoring her friend, and snickered again. "But Lyn and I have her 6th period...she's much more on her toes then first period."   
"She might be as tired as you. Who knows?" Anh asked, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Lyn, can I talk to you?"   
"About more guy problems? Bright Lady, how many boyfriends have you had in the last two weeks?" Lyn asked sleepily. "And last year, too...can't you ask someone else to solve your problems? Micki knows more about romantic relationships then I do."   
"But you listen to everything. Now, Micki doesn't listen to everything, if she doesn't think it's important, she tunes it out." Anh said, grinning, as Micki thumped her on the head.   
"Be nice." The black girl chided her Vietnamese friend.   
"I am. I could say so much more, but I won't..." Anh said, and Micki rolled her eyes.  
"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Micki asked.   
"Not I." Anh grinned.   
"Tchah!" Lyn growled. "Would you shut up, I'm trying to catch up on my sleep."   
The telltale sound of a violin string snapping echoed through the air.  
"Like the rest of us." Vanyel said tartly, pulling a spare A string out of his pocket. "Or trying to get some work done."   
"I do my work!" Lyn protested.   
"From your grade in my class, you wouldn't know." Savil said sardonically.   
"I got a C+ on interim! And I do all my homework!" Lyn protested.   
Rosemary rolled all her eyes heavenward. "Give me strength." The petite Herald-Mage said prayerfully: she was the TA (Teacher's Assistant) for Savil's 2nd Period Algebra 2/Trig class. "It should take you 45 minutes, an hour at most, to do your algebra homework. You were up until 12:00 doing Savil's homework, and you started it at 7:00."   
"I still get it done." Lyn muttered to her cousin, and put her head back done on the table.   
Finally, the bunch of sleepy teenagers had assembled in the living room.   
"Scott, make sure that you don't miss the bus to Edison." Savil told him, leveling a withering glare at him, the same glare that flattened her apprentices, even strong-willed Lyn Littrell. Scott, however, was unaffected.   
"But it's Scott Skip Day." He said nonchalantly.   
"And I'm sixteen years old." The silver-haired woman told him acidly.   
"Why aren't you in school, then?" was Scott's reply, and Savil rolled her eyes.   
"Sarcasm is totally lost on you." She said.   
"No, it's not." Scott said. Savil sighed.   
"It must be. Tylendel, wake up!" Donni giggled. "Ms. Block's gonna have your hide nailed to the wall for sure." The dark-haired girl wasn't normally that hyper, but her breakfast had consisted entirely of the entire three-liter bottle of Mountain Dew that she had stolen from Scott's stash. And speaking of the stash...  
"Give me the Dew!" Scott growled at his friend, John Pearson, who had stolen the 3-liter bottle of Dew that he had intended to bring to school.   
"You'll have to catch me first." the Herald trainee said flippantly as he ran around the kitchen, Scott in hot pursuit.   
"Here!" Justin jumped up and down, from where he was at the other end of the living rom. "Keepaway!"   
John tossed the Dew, and Justin caught it.   
"Give it to me!" Eboni Jerden grinned. The tall black Herald-Mage neatly caught the Dew bottle, and soon, a full-fledged game of Keepaway was under way in Savil's living room. Savil watched the game, a slight smile on her face.   
:None of you DARE use Fetching, you hear me!?: she said in Broadsent-Mode.   
:Why not? We ALWAYS use Fetching, and you never cared before, except to tell us not to break anything.: Eboni said, also in Broadsend-Mode.   
:Before, there was only Heralds, Healers, Bards, and the trainees of all three groups here. But-: Savil responded in Broadsent-Mode, and jerked her head significantly toward Vanyel, who was putting his violin away.   
:Ah.: Anh Mindspoke, and caught the Dew bottle, and sent it arcing over to Chris Allen. He sent it toward the door-  
"Was it really necessary to hit me in the stomach with a three-liter Mountain Dew bottle? I know that you might be disgruntled that our names sound so similar, but getting nailed with a full bottle of Mountain Dew is NOT the way I like getting woken up." the Herald Kris Valerian said, one elegant black eyebrow raised. "Who's Dew is this anyway?"   
"It's mine." Scott yelled. "Give it back!"   
Kris threw the bottle to him.   
"You're no fun!" Christine Nelson pouted at him.   
"Get over it. It's quarter 'til seven." the young man told his classmate.   
"I'm amazed. You got up early." Savil said sarcastically. Kris ignored her, and was promptly hit in the head with Lyn's Algebra book, papers flying everywhere. Lyn gave a yelp of dismay and got up to retrieve her homework. Thankfully, she got all of it back together in order. Kris tossed her the textbook.   
"Was that necessary?" he asked.   
"Of course." Eboni (who had thrown the textbook) said, grinning. "It's not fair that you look so good...we have to mess your perfect face up somehow. Speaking of perfection..."   
Vanyel was feeling somewhat jealous of their close camaradie: he'd never seen such a different group of people interact so closely before. Certaintly his own family wasn't anywhere near as warm with each other as this brood of teenagers were.   
(I don't need them...I don't need anyone...) the black-haired young man thought, summoning up the memory of his dreams of ice and snow-   
Just as Eboni tackled him, knocking all the wind out of him. Vanyel wheezed, finding it very hard suddenly to breathe.   
"Jeez, Ebs, calm down! You're killing the poor boy." Micki sputtered, laughing. Eboni released him, and stepped back.   
"What was that for?" Vanyel gasped out.   
"It's not fair that you and Kris happen to be prettier then most girls. So I have taken it upon myself to make your lives miserable." Eboni said, grinning. "Especially because you both are prettier then ME, and that is the unforgivable sin." she grinned even wider, bowed, and stepped away.   
Tylendel watched the proceedings with an absent eye, since he was busy Mindspeaking his Companion Gala.   
:Dearheart, do you think that those dreams I've been having MEAN anything? Important, that is.: he asked her.   
:Are you blond?: Gala Sent back.   
(Has she been taking lessons from Lyn...) Tylendel wondered briefly.   
:I'm serious.:   
:So am I.:   
:What do the dreams mean? Danyen Orie was Hanna's lifebonded, every Herald and Herald-Mage knows the history, as do the Healers and Bards...and what does that have to do with me? I really hate being haunted by the past...:   
:You know I can't tell you.: Gala said.   
:Are you serious?: Tylendel demanded.  
:Do fish swim?:   
:I'm serious.:   
:So am I.:   
This was going around in circles, so Tylendel sent a wordless burst of love to Gala and closed the link, shutting his eyes...  
Vanyel looked up from his violin case and the first thing he saw was the dozing Tylendel. A flush stained his pale cheeks as once again he realized that strangely enough, he was drawn to Tylendel...why, why him?   
There was a thread of familiarity about Tylendel Frelennye that stretched back more then a thousand years, ten thousand years...like Vanyel and Tylendel had known each other, so long ago that trying to remember was like trying to hold the wind.   
Vanyel didn't understand...but there was no denying the tie between them. And not for the first time in his young life, he had no idea what to do.   
~End Chapter~ 


	4. School Days

Herald's Silence  
by Shadow Flare  
  
*Model Congress is an assignment that I just got through with myself...basically, we had to role-play the House of Representatives (United States), including writing a bill. I wrote my bill on banning nuclear testing...my friend Pam wrote her bill on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and some others I don't remember. I'm lazy, so I'll use those ideas here. Tylendel's proposed bill should NOT be a surprise. Hell, I'm surprised no one wrote a bill on the topic in our MC. Wait, now that I'm looking at my own 3 Bill Ideas sheet, that topic was indeed one of my three. This is the chapter when things start getting serious. *   
Chapter Four: School Days  
107th Congress, 2nd Session...H.R., In the House of Representatives...  
Vanyel, irritated, dropped his pen and rested his head in his hands. This assignment had seemed so easy when Ms. Block had given it to them, but it was so HARD, he didn't even know what he should write about. Three people that he knew of already had their topic and a good chunk of their research and bill written-Lyn Littrell, Mela Terrel, and Tylendel Frelennye. Lyn was writing her bill on banning nuclear testing, Mela on allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children in every state, and Tylendel on allowing same-sex marriages in every state. Those three had come up with their ideas really quickly...how could they have done that so fast? They were almost through with their rough drafts, and he had only the formatting done. It also didn't help that Savil was on the phone-yelling at the top of her lungs. Vanyel winced. (Bright Lady, she's got a very strong set of lungs.) he thought. He was downstairs in the corner of the room, and Savil was in her room upstairs, the door closed, and he could still hear her. Wishing vainly for earplugs, he set back to work on the bill.   
Savil wanted really badly to Gate out to California and beat some sense into her brother's head. This latest battle was over Vanyel's interim, which had arrived at his father's house that very day. Instead of being pleased with Vanyel's grades, which any decent parent would be, Withen was bellowing his displeasure at the courses his son was taking, among them Theater Arts 2.   
"I TOLD YOU TO SIGN HIM UP FOR WEIGHT TRAINING, AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU PUT THE BOY IN DRAMA!!! IN DRAMA, OF ALL THINGS!!!" Withen roared. Savil counted to ten, and prepared her counterattack.   
"First things first-Vanyel is a sophomore. Sophomores MAY NOT, I repeat, MAY NOT, take Weight Training as a course. Advanced PE is ALSO NOT a cours a sophomore may take."   
"BUT WHY DRAMA?! NO SON OF MINE WILL DO SUCH AN UNMANLY ACTIVITY!! TAKE HIM OUT, AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF HE CAN'T TAKE THOSE OTHER COURSES! PUT THE BOY IN THEM ANYWAY!" Withen roared.   
"Not even the principal of the school may authorize such a departure from the rules." Savil said, attempting to keep her cool. "And even if Vanyel were not a sophomore, he transferred in late: the only elective courses he could take that were not full already were either band or drama. I assume you don't want him in band, so I put him into Theater 2, a PRE-IB course. Also, Vanyel's wish to attempt to get the full IB diploma-since you have put him under my care until he is 18, he'll finish high school here-factors in. IB Theater is an IB course. Weight Training is NOT. He must take the prerequisite course, which is Theater Arts 2. As long as he is under my care, I will decide what is to be done with him."   
Withen's bellow was cut off as Savil hung up the phone. And then took it off the hook...it was only her personal line anyway, she had another for business and everything else. The number of said line Withen did NOT know, praise the Goddess.  
"What's wrong, Savil?" Andrel asked soothingly from the door. She turned to face the Healer.   
"For starters, I just got off the phone with my brother." she said, her displeasure written all over her face.   
"I figured. Everyone heard you yelling." Andrel said, massaging his temple with long fingers, and flopped onto her bed. "You should have seen Vanyel's face...when I walked past him, he looked like he wanted to be deaf temporarily. He's not getting into trouble...he's busy working on his government bill."   
"That's good to know." Savil said. (One worry out of the way...at least he's not out getting into trouble...)   
Andrel deftly snatched the folded piece of paper from her bedside table, and opened it, just as Jaysen came in.  
"An interim?" Jaysen asked, with a raised eyebrow, as he walked over to Andrel and read over his shoulder.   
"Vanyel's. Surprisingly, my brother cared less about Vanyel's grades, and more about what courses I'd signed him up for."   
"Then your brother is a thick-headed idiot. He should be grateful there's one smart person in his family. If Vanyel's getting a B+ in YOUR class, he's got to be very smart." Jaysen said with a grimace, as math was his strong point, but even HE had a hard time with Savil's curriculum. "I have a master's degree in mathematics, and I STILL have a hard time with what you make your kids do."   
"You should have seen the look on Vanyel's face when I told him he got a B+ for interim. He wasn't happy." Savil said, just as Tylendel Mindspoke her.   
:Thank you for shutting up.: he Mindsent with a grin. :I think that all of us were about to go bind and gag you if you didn't shut up right then.:   
:I'd have liked to seen you try.: Savil said back. :What's going on down there?:   
:Nothing worth noting-: Tylendel dropped the Mindspeech thread for a moment. Savil rolled her eyes. Nothing worth noting, huh?   
But when Tylendel didn't pick up the thread again, Savil frowned. What could be going on-  
:Savil? There's a very big problem, just cancel what I just said.: Tylendel-and Rosemary?!-added, the two of them bringing Jaysen and Andrel into the meld as well.   
:What is going on?!: Savil Mindsent.   
:Every ForeSeer has collapsed-except maybe Selenay, but she looks like she's going to faint any second-and I mean every. Anyone with a trace of the Gift has gone under-well, Selenay just fainted. That makes it everyone.: Rosemary Said.   
:What about the FarSeers?!: Savil asked, turning her head to look at Jaysen, who didn't look like he was going to faint, but he had the FarSight Gift.   
:Mela, Kris, and Justin. But I think that when they saw the ForeSeers all collapse, they tried to use their Gifts to See where the trouble the ForeSeers must have ForeSeen was-and got nailed too. Jays, DON'T USE YOUR GIFT.: Tylendel warned. :Every Companion who has a Chosen with any trace of the FarSight Gift is alerting them to NOT use their Gifts.:   
:Good move.: Andrel Said approvingly. :Is there anything the Healers can do to help them?:   
:'Don't think so.: Rosemary Said. :Something very bad and very important must be on the horizon, and all the ForeSeers must have had the beginnings of a vision-but were blocked. And when Mela, Kris, and Justin tried to See where trouble was building up, they were blocked as well. It must have been a very powerful block to knock them all out.:   
Tylendel started cursing in five different languages.   
Savil raised her eyebrow. :'Lendel, I understand your wanting to curse at the top of your lungs, but is there anything else I need to know?:   
:Savil, did you test Vanyel for any presence of a Gift?: he asked slowly.   
:No, how can I? There's Silence to maintain, you know, how am I going to explain working magic? But why?: she added. Rosemary was equally confused, but Tylendel's next words explained themselves.   
:Well, I don't know how to explain this, but Vanyel's just as out cold as the rest of the Heralds with ForeSight or the three with FarSight.: Tylendel said even more slowly. Jaysen figured it out first.   
:Your nephew must be Gifted. Or just highly unlucky to get sick at the same time the others fainted. I suspect the former.: Jaysen said.   
:Vanyel isn't sick.: Rosemary said, and as she was a Healer-Adept, she would know, and Tylendel suddenly Sent a memory-  
Of Vanyel walking near the fence of the field where Savil supposedly kept the horses that she bred (she had to make up an excuse to keep the Companions close by), and suddenly stopping, his gaze meeting that of a Companion mare. Silver and sapphire stayed locked for a long moment-   
:You just happened to be nearby at the time.: Savil said to Tylendel, who mentally shrugged.   
:I'm surprised Vanyel didn't see me...I was with Gala. But he might have been Chosen, and all Gala has to say is 'All will be revealed in time.': Tylendel added, and Rosemary giggled.   
:Honestly, is she taking lessons from Tantris? Kris complains about that all the time- 'All Feather ears tells me is that 'All will be revealed in time.'" she Mindsent, imitating the dark-haired Herald's voice perfectly. :But seriously-: she added, returning to her own voice, :What can be going on?:  
:Nothing good, that's for sure. And we'll be in the thick of it.: Savil sighed. :I only hope it doesn't happen in the next few days, since not all the Web-guardians will be in town. I'm the only one staying. Kilchas, Lissandra, and Lancir all have to go to California on a business trip on the 11th...:   
Andrel checked his watch for the date. :That's in two days. It's September 9th today.: the Healer said.   
:They can still Watch from California, but this worries me.: Savil added.   
:When the ForeSeers wake up, along with Kris, Mela, and Justin, we'll demand to know what they saw. At least, I will.: Rosemary Said. :And about Vanyel's possibly being Chosen...it's possible that even HE doesn't know.:   
:Just great. Disaster is looming, all the Web-guardians but one are leaving town, all the ForeSeers and three FarSeers are down for the count, and a possible Chosen doesn't know the fact. Can anything else happen?: Tylendel asked acidly.   
:It can and it could.: Rosemary added soberly, and she and Tylendel dropped the link to speak with their respective Companions, an intention that both Savil and Jaysen shared.   
***  
Vanyel walked through the cities of New York City, New York, and Arlington, Virginia. Something was going to happen, something that screamed of fear and pain and death and hatred, all those emotions rushed over him and threatened to overwhelm him. He looked at a newspaper holder, and saw that the date was September 11th, 2001. Something was going to happen, but he couldn't tell exactly what. Some dark force was blocking him from knowing-   
And when he tried to yell a warning to all the people around him, he couldn't speak, and even if he could have, no one could hear him. No one-  
And as he doubled over as the rush of negative emotions hit him again, twice as hard, twice as strong, he saw blue in his mind's eye, a gentle, living sapphire blue, the bluest of blue, and a soft female voice spoke to him in his mind, a gentle litany over and over, trying to banish the darkness-  
A name. Yfandes.   
But even as the woman spoke, somewhere far away, he could hear a bell tolling, tolling fifty-five times-  
(End Chapter)  
  
*Hah! I'm evil, I tell you! And before you ask, Lyn Litrell is NOT me. I'm just using my bill idea for her, because I'm a lazy bum. Who uses too many cliffhangers. But considering that this is set in our world, 21st century Earth, and every event that happens on a global scale happens here too-(that I remember/know about, that is)-you can figure out what Vanyel-and the ForeSeers-ForeSaw, and what Mela, Kris, and Justin Saw when they tried to FarSee. Is Vanyel Chosen or not? Well, figure it out!* 


	5. Hanna's Warning

Herald's Silence  
  
By Shadow Flare  
  
*Shadow Flare: *blinks at her inbox* I wasn't aware so many of you liked this story…and ya'll found reasons I didn't even think of. And my friends Scott and Justin knocked some sense into my head, as well as you…alright, alright, I'll continue! Sheesh…by the way, the setting is sounding very implausible…as if it didn't already*groans* Ay, carumba…in case you're wondering, Lyn Littrell was supposed to based on my friend Lynne, the 'great wonderful fantastic', who also writes at fanfiction.net…of course, the character has taken on a life of her own…Lynne, if you're reading this, I'm not insulting you, I swear! *  
  
Chapter Five: Hanna's Warning  
  
Vanyel opened his eyes to see Rosemary sitting in a chair near his bed, placidly reading a book, which she put down when she saw he was awake.  
  
"Your head must be hurting like a bitch right now." she said cheerfully. "Lyn and the others complained when they woke up. So here, I'll give you some stronger stuff in a sec, but take this first."  
  
The blond handed him some aspirin and a glass of water, which he both gratefully downed.  
  
"And the *others*?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, you weren't the only one to take ill yesterday." Rosemary said. "Lyn, Eboni, Brandon-"  
  
"Who's Brandon?" Vanyel asked, as the name was unfamiliar.  
  
"Ah, he doesn't live here. He lives near Lyn's parents, in Maryland." Rosemary said. "But he was visiting his mother over the weekend, but stayed over Monday long enough to get knocked out."  
  
"I don't get it. If Lyn's parents live in Maryland, why does she live here? In fact, why do so many people live in this house? Savil's a teacher, no offense to her, but she probably can't afford to feed all the kids and adults who live here, much less pay the mortgage." Vanyel asked.  
  
"Oh, no one told you about this place? Well, the best way to describe it is that it's like a 60's commune. All of us kids for various reasons came here, and are under the legal custody of one of the adults who live here. Such as JP and me…we came here to go to Fairfax County Public Schools, and Jaysen Kondre, who is our legal guardian now, is a friend of our family, he agreed to take us in. Lyn's family moved to Maryland-she has a younger brother named Joe in addition-but she wanted to go to an IB school, and she was set on it even when she was ten. He didn't care, so he went and she stayed. Maybe about twenty adults and 30 kids live here, on this property, though not in this house. The adults all work, and basically all help pay expenses. Some of us actually are orphans, or are foster kids…Mela is one."  
  
"It would be like a boarding school, except that we go to public school. But what about the horses I saw?" Vanyel asked.  
  
"Ah. Well, zoning doesn't allow too many houses on the same piece or pieces of land. So Savil has a license as a horse breeder, which are those white horses out there. She *could* sell them, but doesn't sell them to just anybody, mind…the horse chooses its partner."  
  
"That makes sense. Why buy a horse if it doesn't like you?" Vanyel asked. Rosemary vaguely wondered if he knew the truth about the 'white horses'.  
  
"That's true. So, that's the overview." Rosemary said. "Any questions?"  
  
"Yes. What about Tylendel? Where did he come from?" Rosemary noted that Vanyel flushed slightly when he mentioned the older boy. The Healer- Adept also had noted that the two had been acting strangely around each other lately. (Hmm…) she thought, but didn't press the matter further.  
  
"Oh, he came from Georgia. His accent's toned down, but when he's mad, you can hear it. He got a scholarship to attend a summer school program here, and just stayed to go to school here. That answer your question?"  
  
"Yes." Vanyel said.  
  
"Good. Drink this." Rosemary handed him a mug of some kind of tea, which he regarded skeptically. "It doesn't taste very good, but it works better then it tastes."  
  
She watched him like a hawk while he drained the bitter-tasting liquid, which Rosemary was right about. The girl took the mug back, and sat down in her chair again.  
  
What was amazing was that the concoction worked. His headache vanished, and soon, Vanyel was drifting in a state that was three-fourths of the way to slumber…there must have been a soporific in that tea. He floated dreamlessly…  
  
Until loud, quarreling voices, alto and tenor, slammed him back down to earth. Vaguely, he identified the voices as that of Lyn and Tylendel.  
  
"I don't care that you hate Helen, you will be civil to her!" Tylendel shouted.  
  
"Who are you to order me around?! It is my business who I am civil to!" Lyn screamed.  
  
"Stop being so damned childish, Lyn! You are a Herald, or nearly, and you must be impartial!"  
  
"Impartial? What do YOU know about being impartial?!"  
  
"I know what impartial means. My family's down in Georgia feuding with every neighbor they've got, it's been like that for years and it's gonna go on, I have the power to help them out, help them to win, but I'm keeping my nose out! It hurts, but I'm impartial! So don't tell me that I don't know what impartiality means, little girl!" Tylendel yelled, and indeed, his southern accent was indeed thickening. By now the tension in the air between them was so thick, someone could have cut bricks out of it with a knife.  
  
"I am not a little girl!" Lyn shrilled.  
  
"Sure you aren't. Do you ever wonder why you're still a trainee, even after six years? Sariel Chose you when you were ten, and you still aren't ready for Whites! Let me put this to you in words I'm sure you'll understand." Tylendel's voice oozed sarcasm. "You are a capable girl. You are very powerful. But capability and power are not enough, do you hear me? You will be a fine Herald someday, if you ever grow up! Fucking hell, Lyn, you're so fucking immature! How Scott manages to put up with you is a blessing, and Savil a miracle! You still have a lot of growing up to do-"  
  
"And you can't talk about immaturity, Tylendel!" Lyn shrieked. "Remember how YOU got Chosen? Trespassing here, walking on the damned fence, and you fell under Gala's nose! You were breaking the law!"  
  
"So? At least I can admit my faults! I really can't see why Sariel Chose you so early-"  
  
The sound of a hand striking flesh was just as loud as their voices.  
  
"Let me tell you of something you can't admit, Tylendel. Scott knows I love him, I know he loves me. It took courage to admit that, courage you don't have. How is it that I can tell the boy I love that I love him, while you can't tell the boy you love that you do?" Lyn said.  
  
"That is none of your damned business, Lyn Liandrin Littrell. Keep your Empathy out of my way." Tylendel said coldly, and Vanyel sensed two very bright colors of auras, gray and violet, that suddenly flared up, and even from here he could tell that they belonged to the arguing duo out in the hallway. The violet was more powerful then the gray, but both were very powerful and bright: somehow, Vanyel knew that gray was Lyn, and violet was Tylendel, even without really seeing either of them.  
  
"Fucking hell…" Rosemary muttered under her breath. "I ought to throw both of them into the river and run off to Canada with their money."  
  
She got up, apparently put her book down, and ran out of the room.  
  
"Lock it down, trainee." She coldly ordered one of them-and Lyn's gray aura faded. "That goes for you as well." she ordered Tylendel, and his aura was gone as well. "I ought to throw both of you into the river and run off to Canada with your money. Now get out of here and out of my face, before I do just that."  
  
Vanyel heard the sounds of two different people storming off in opposite directions. It was then that he finally slipped off into sleep…  
  
***  
  
"It took you long enough to get here." A young woman said archly, her soprano voice coming from somewhere behind Vanyel. He turned to see a petite woman standing there, wherever they were, dressed in some kind of white uniform, with her arms folded across her chest. She was slender and about an inch taller then him: while she looked young, the silver streaks in her long blond hair were making determining her age difficult. The strange woman's facial features were a strange mirror of his own, and silver eyes-the same shade of his own-stared evenly back at him.  
  
"And where is here?" Vanyel asked.  
  
"Nowhere that exists in any known plane…" the girl said, sweeping one arm above her head in a half-circle. "And never shall. You see, I have brought you here, to this place, wherever it is, to tell you of important things, Vanyel Ashkevron. Very important things."  
  
Vanyel was still confused. "Who are you, first of all? How old are you? And how do you know my name?"  
  
"My name is Hanna Latria Adele, Herald-Mage of the now nonexistent world of Velgarth. I was 36 years old when I died 10,000 years ago. To answer your last question, it would be stupid to NOT know my own name, wouldn't it?" Hanna said.  
  
"Herald-Mage? But-how can you be-" Vanyel got only part of his questions out.  
  
"What a Herald-Mage is, will be will be explained in time and by others. And I will not answer your last question…all I will say is that my spirit is part of you. Why and how, I'm not telling you. " Hanna said. "Now, the important things. You've seen the future…others have seen it. That is NOTHING compared to what will happen if the evil that destroyed my home world is allowed to destroy yours as well. I could go on and on and tell you everything that happened when Leareth invaded my home world, but that would take a very long time. Read that book your-friend-" she emphasized 'friend' in a way Vanyel didn't understand- "Tylendel is reading. That explains a good deal."  
  
"What can I do? Why are you telling me this?" Vanyel asked.  
  
"You have the Gifts I lacked, and those I have, and in greater strength. You have the strength to do what I could not. You have the power to make a difference. That's all I can tell you…that and you will find what I lost so long ago."  
  
"I don't understand…"  
  
"You don't need to." Hanna said. "Farewell."  
  
And with a thread of bell-like music and a gust of wind and mist, everything spun away…  
  
***  
  
The first thing Vanyel saw when he woke up was Tylendel, who was draped all over every chair in the room, reading a book, and something inside him just-fluttered, and he didn't understand why.  
  
"Hey, you OK?" Tylendel asked. Vanyel nodded, and saw the purplish bruise on Tylendel's right cheek.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, knowing perfectly well why.  
  
"You must've been knocked out good or something by that tea." Tylendel commented airily. "Nothing much, except Lyn and I got in a fight, she slapped me-man, does that bitch hit hard- Rosemary had to break us up…and Savil bitched at ME about it. It's just not fair…and if Rosemary really does throw me in the river…I'll get her."  
  
Vanyel blinked, still very confused about everything. "What's today's date?"  
  
"Oh…hmm…damn, I forgot…" Tylendel looked at his watch. "Monday, September 10th. Hey, don't worry, I've got all the work you missed…it's not like you missed much…except a government quiz…that I failed…"  
  
"How could you possibly on the face of this earth, fail a government quiz?" Vanyel asked sarcastically, surprised that Tylendel, of all people, failed a government quiz. Everyone said that Ms. Block's class was hard, but he himself found it to be quite easy…except for the damned bill…  
  
"Easy. If you're overconfident and didn't study. Ms. Block could have killed me for it, too… " Tylendel rolled his eyes heavenward. "Lord and Lady, give me a brain, please."  
  
"Can I read your book?" Vanyel asked, remembering what Hanna had said, and hastily remembered to add "please."  
  
"Uh…I'm not done with it yet." Tylendel gulped: it was a history of the Velgarth refugees, and their original world and new one, from the very beginning, then to Hanna's time on, and he really didn't think that Savil- or any of the other Heralds-would ever let him loan it to Vanyel on account of he wasn't a trainee of anything. "It's gonna take me a little while longer…yeah…"  
  
"…alright." Vanyel said, suspicious that Tylendel was hiding something. The older boy undraped himself from the chairs-a truly odd sight-and got up, with his book.  
  
"See you tomorrow…get some sleep, alright? I don't want to see you collapsing again." Tylendel said, concerned.  
  
(Why is he so concerned about me?) Vanyel thought, even more suspicious now.  
  
"…good night." Vanyel finally said, as Tylendel left the room and shut the door behind him. Hanna's final words still echoed in his mind.  
  
^…You have the power to make a difference…^  
  
"How can I make a difference?" Vanyel whispered.  
  
^…We shall see…where? Who? What can we do?^  
  
~End Chapter~ 


	6. Interlude One: Hanna

Interlude: Hanna  
  
My name is Hanna Latria Adele, and I am about to die. And I welcome the embrace of the Shadow-Lover, more then I have welcomed anyone else's-  
  
Except for my sweet Danyen's. But I know that when I embrace the Shadow-Lover, I will see Danyen again, for he has gone on ahead of me, he and my poor Arel. I will see them and everyone else I knew in life, soon. But is this the way it must end? All of us dead, because of the wrath of one thwarted blood-path wizard? I know that Velgarth lies in ruins, though I cannot see for myself: my last sight will be darkness, for my sight is gone. Like everything else I loved.  
  
Lying here, alone, it is easy to look back and see what I should have done, what we should have done. It is easy to blame myself for what happened, and there is no Arel to speak into my mind and try to convince me otherwise with her love, there is no Danyen to hold me and try to make everything alright, if only for a time. They're dead, they're dead, and I am alone. Alone like I've never been since that day nineteen years ago when the Companion Arel looked into the eyes of the lonely little girl I was and Chose me, and then the day when I met the then Herald-Mage trainee Danyen Orie, fell in love and lifebonded to him: I was never alone after that...until now. And it's worse this time, for when Arel and Danyen went, they took pieces of me with them, and I am only half, lying here in darkness, both of blindness and of night. I Feel others die on the battlefield, and I am alone, save for one: Herald Sara Leshyal, and her Companion Reavn are still alive, because she was in charge of keeping the trainees safe, or the few trainees that Leareth did not manage to kill. Among them is Herald-Mage trainee Leshia, the Heir. But the others are dead.  
  
I know it is my fault, partly, for what happened. The Dark Adept Leareth had fancied me, Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele, and had sent his envoy to ask my hand in marriage. I did not want to marry such a monster and would have rather been dead then been Leareth's bride, but did not say so: instead, I politely declined. My official reasons for refusing were that not only was I the 1st-ranked Herald-Mage in the Heraldic Circle and was needed by the side of Herald-Queen Terilee, I was also lifebonded to Herald-Mage Danyen Orie, and that a marriage to anyone other then my lifebonded would be nothing but a lie, and because of those reasons, would not be a fitting bride for Adept Leareth. All reasons that any sane person would accept...  
  
Instead, Leareth attacked...and the results? Every person on Velgarth- with the exception of one full Herald, 15 Herald-trainees, 17 Bardic- trainees, 16 Healer-trainees, 3 full Healers, 4 full Bards, and one dying Herald-Mage (me) and the Companions of said Herald and Herald-trainees-was dead. All would be lost unless I did something...but what?  
  
They call me the most powerful Herald-Mage of my time AND in history. I thought grimly. Let's see that power USED for something.  
  
I reached out and touched the mind of Princess Leshia.  
  
:Leshia.: I Mindspoke her in Private-Mode.  
  
:Hanna?! You're still alive?!:  
  
:Not for long. I'm going to do something that's going to kill me, but save the rest of you. Otherwise, we're all gonna die. I have nothing left to live for, anyway...both Arel and Danyen are dead.: I said, trying to not to break down and weep. :So I might as well go out doing something worthwhile.:  
  
:What are you going to do?: she asked.  
  
:Create a bridge to another world, so all of you can escape. I'll make sure Leareth cannot follow you, but after that, you're on your own. All of you assimilate into the new world's population, but maintain Silence...only those of the new world Chosen or having Healer or Bardic Gifts can know of your existence, and they must keep Silence. Until the day when your descendants are strong enough to combat Leareth and win, that is. Remember everything, remember it all. They will need to know. Goodbye, Leshia.: I hoped that I had enough strength left to construct a bridge to another world, but I didn't say so.  
  
:Goodbye, Hanna.: She responded, and then I severed the Mindspeech link.  
  
I drew on the magic of one last node, that hadn't yet been tapped out, either by myself or Leareth, augmented by my power-what reserves were left-and began spinning the threads outward, bits of myself, to another realm-  
  
Bright Lady, grant me strength. I prayed, and continued my work.  
  
-I call upon the Portal- I cast the Gate spell but 'twisted' it somewhat, as I searched for a new realm.  
  
The threads caught and the bridge snapped into place onto the new world. Earth. I knew her name and knew her story. The realm had strong latent magic-which would flower into being when the refugees arrived-, but it was so far away that Leareth wouldn't think to go there. I hoped.  
  
:Now!: I Mindspoke in Broadsend-mode, and Felt the last of my people flee Velgarth. I cloaked their passing and knew that Leareth had no idea of the whole exodus: he'd have caught the bridge, stopped them mid- crossing, and I'd have Felt if that had happened.  
  
Almost done... I thought as I spun loose the bridge that had briefly connected Velgarth to Earth. Only one more thing to do, and then I can rest...  
  
I extended my presence out to Earth, and began Weaving the new Web. North, East, South, West-each quadrant with a Herald-Mage Guardian to watch and Guard. But when I tried to connect all the remaining Heralds-trainees, truth be told-into the Web, I realized that I didn't have enough strength to finish the job. I Saw the spell-structure: there was a weak network that was trying to bind the Heralds together as part of the Web, but was underpowered and incomplete...maybe if there was another Herald-Mage of my caliber... I just hoped that the Four Guardians would be enough. And I let go of the Web, and let myself fall...  
  
Back into my own body, wracked with pain and lying in darkness. I opened my eyes, just to stare into blackness-  
  
And to my left, I saw a strange Herald in full Whites kneeling by my side. I was floored-wasn't I blind? How could I see him? But I couldn't concentrate, I was losing my grip on myself, as everything-the pain, the darkness, and the Herald-faded and blurred, and spun. I was past hurting, since the pain had become so intense while I had Worked the Bridge and Created the Earth-Web, that I had grown used to it.  
  
I fell into darker darkness, true darkness, and hoped that Danyen would be there.  
  
Please, please, Danyen, wherever you are, please, wait for me-  
  
And was yanked back by the Herald's voice.  
  
:My hand, Herald Hanna. Will you take it?: he asked.  
  
:Are you crazy?! I almost had it, I was almost dead, but you HAD to hold me back! Just let me go!: I Mindspoke him angrily, as the pain flared again, and it was all I could to keep from screaming with the pain of it, battle-hardened as I was.  
  
:Herald, this is a faster way out.: he told me. :Take my hand, Herald.:  
  
I growled, but managed to scrape up enough strength from somewhere to raise my left hand, just enough to place it in his. His fingers curled about my hand, and he smiled-  
  
And I was standing, whole and healthy, no longer pain-racked, no longer blind. The Herald was with me, his sapphire eyes staring down into mine-he was a full foot taller then I.  
  
"So, am I dead?" I asked.  
  
"Yes." He said. I stared at him, and suddenly realized who I had snapped at, this Power who had chosen to appear to me as a Herald, and who stared at me with eyes of the deepest sapphire blue. Eyes of sorrow, so deep, sad, and serene.  
  
The Shadow-Lover. Death.  
  
I tried to kneel, but he grabbed my collar and held me upright.  
  
"No, Hanna. Do not kneel to me." He said. "I am only a messenger, a servant, nothing more. I have to tell you of much that concerns you. For starters, time has passed since the moment I took you from your dying body on that battlefield."  
  
"How much time?" I asked, expecting a few days. I was proven wrong.  
  
"Many years, Hanna. 10,000 years, which perhaps explains why, all of a sudden, there are 4 Firestarting Heralds, or will be, for only one has been born: none have appeared since the death of Lavan in your time. Your Web holds...the refugees of Velgarth prosper. Silence is maintained, and shows no signs of breaking. You and what happened all those years ago have passed into legend."  
  
"That's good to know." I said. "But why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Because, Hanna, you stand at a crossroads, because of what you were and what you can still be, and what you can become. This situation will not hold...the time has come for change." Death told me.  
  
"But-" I barely got the word out, and then the Shadow-Lover shook His head gravely.  
  
"Danyen has gone on ahead...he waits for you." He told me. "But it remains up to you to choose."  
  
As I stood there, I realized what he meant. "I have to go back."  
  
"But not as Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele." He said. "As someone new, totally different, with a new past, different present, and another future."  
  
"I will go." I said. "Guess I won't be a Herald this time...it might be interesting being a Bard or a Healer this time, if I'm Gifted at all...right?"  
  
"Wrong. I might as well tell you, ke'chara, even though you will remember nothing of this or your old life or identity, except through dreams...perhaps you may gain these memories back at a later time, but perhaps not. You will be a Herald-Mage, even more powerful then you were as Hanna, with all the Gifts, including the two you lacked-Healing and Firestarting. And you will find Danyen again. As for the rest...it is up to you."  
  
"I understand." I said.  
  
"Farewell, ke'chara." The Shadow-Lover said, as everything dissolved around me, and I fell once again into darkness...  
  
I knew my name. My new name, and I spoke it, before everything and myself faded into darkness...  
  
And Hanna Latria Adele was no more, gone if she had never existed, everything forgotten. Instead, there was someone else, someone with a totally new past, different future, and another present, a new beginning, not yet bound by destiny...  
  
(End Interlude) 


	7. The Darkest of Days

Herald's Silence

By Shadow Flare

*After a long hiatus, I am back with this chapter. Anyway, here goes…and yes, there is a purpose behind the flashback at the beginning of this chapter. Hope you like…and yes, I do know about the Tantris/Tantras connection-I'm going to have to find some other explanation…*

Chapter Seven: The Darkest of Days

***

                "Why can't you be serious for once?" the tall, auburn-haired man snarled at the girl in Grays facing him. Her chin lifted defiantly, as she stared Danyen Orie in the face.  

                "Why can't you just keep your nose out of other people's business?" Leshia shouted back. 

                "I can and will concern myself with whatever I please, *trainee*." Danyen's usual easygoing nature had flown right out the window when this argument had begun. "A few pranks are alright, but enough is enough!" 

                Leshia honestly hadn't meant for this latest one to go so far, she honestly hadn't! But Danyen's attitude was making her mad: it wasn't like he hadn't played any practical jokes when he had been a trainee. Hanna could attest to the exact opposite, in fact, as she had been on the receiving end of many of them. 

                "You are a Herald-trainee, and you at least need to be serious some of the time." Danyen continued. "Dammit, girl, you're the Heir: you can't go around playing pranks whenever! You need to get a damn sense of responsibility! You'll make a fine Herald, a fine queen, someday, if you just get a grip! But right now, you're just a little girl who doesn't act her age, who acts like a toddler just out of the nursery! In fact, you're being a damn bitch right now!" 

                Leshia hit him. Hard, a backhand across the face, knocking the older Herald-Mage to the floor.  Danyen stood up, a black scowl on his face. 

                "Come talk to me when you've grown up a few decades in mental age and are out of the cradle. Until then, don't bother." He said sarcastically and stormed off. 

                "He's somewhat right, you know." A soft voice came from behind her, and Leshia turned, startled, to find a tired-looking Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele leaning against the doorway of the room she and Danyen shared.  Leshia hit herself in the forehead: of all the places they could have argued, they had to argue in front of *that* room, when Hanna was trying to catch up on some of her many hours of lost sleep.  "You do need to be a little more serious." The blond woman stared at Leshia evenly. "And control your temper. You can't be backhanding everyone who makes you angry." 

                Leshia looked rueful. "Uh-" 

                "Not that Danyen doesn't need to be hit once in a while: he's being stubborn." Hanna continued coolly.  

                "At least I'm not the one lifebonded to him." Leshia muttered. 

                Hanna smiled: the expression found its way to her face quite rarely.  "You'll understand someday." 

                In the blink of an eye, her smile faded and the Herald-Mage was impassive again.  Hanna was known for both being the most powerful Herald-Mage ever and for showing no outward emotion.  Some said that no one had ever seen her bleed or cry. 

                (Whoever said that must not have been here after the border-wars.) Leshia thought. She herself had only been seven then, ten years before, but she remembered what had happened-Hanna, who had been sent to replace four Herald-Mages-by herself-had returned grievously wounded-after many, many battles-and she'd done a lot of bleeding.  But she'd never wept: reportedly Hanna had been sent to the Collegium to foster at the age of 9 with an uncle of hers, Herald-Mage Harrin, because her mother couldn't handle her anymore, couldn't handle her emotionally repressed and frigid daughter.  Even then, lonely and angry, she'd never given in to weeping: not even when she'd been Chosen by Arel and somehow lifebonded to Danyen, she'd never cried.  (It seems that part of the truism is true.)

                Now, fifteen years later, Hanna was even more remote and icy then the child who had been sent to Haven in disgrace.  Arrogant, she was called behind her back, and a frigid bitch: not many people knew her well enough to see who Hanna Latria Adele really was behind her façade.  Leshia counted the reserved woman among her closest friends, and relied constantly on her advice.   When she became Queen-may that day be far away!-Leshia hoped to have Hanna still around to advise her.  

                "So, what should I do now?" Leshia asked flippantly. 

                Hanna's silver eyes were dark. "Talk to him. Before it's too late." 

                "What?" Leshia said: Hanna's ForeSight was a rare thing, but when she did have a vision, it was powerful and clear. "Did you See something? Is something going to happen?" 

                Hanna shook her head to clear it. "Yes. I believe so. I must speak with your mother about it." The Herald-Mage was fully alert-as she always was when she first awakened-and looked extremely serious. "Seek out Danyen. If anything should happen, you wouldn't want to be left with the regrets and the should-have-beens." 

                Hanna closed the door of her room and walked past Leshia.  "I know." 

                Leshia looked at her friend closely-and Saw the shadow that seemed to cling to her petite form. Was it the same shadow that Hanna ForeSaw would fall over them all?  In that moment, she knew, knew without a doubt, that the shadow would fall over Hanna and swallow her up…that the Herald-Mage was doomed…the girl wanted to call out to Hanna, tell her not to go, that she was going to die-

                But she was gone.

***

                "They still aren't talking to each other?" Savil groaned. "When Lyn and 'Lendel argue, their fights typically last about an hour or so.  Not speaking to each other for a day is very unusual." 

                The young man facing her shrugged, his sky blue eyes rueful.  "Last I saw, Lyn wasn't even open to the suggestion that she run lines with him. And vice-versa, even though neither of them have too many of their lines memorized yet.  They have to have their lines memorized by next week, or Schmidt's going to kill them both. He already yelled at me because I don't have my lines memorized, and we just finished cutting the show.  Quite literally-he yelled at me right before the end of class, and we finished cutting the show about ten minutes before.  He's going to kill them both quite dead." 

                "He's going to have to wait in line." Savil replied. "Kris Valerian, why are you always the bearer of bad news?" 

                The tall FarSeer shrugged. "Fairyfoot says that it's my destiny." 

                Savil knew that "Fairyfoot" was actually Kris's Companion, Tantris. "Your destiny, huh, lad? Then you should have been a ForeSeer, not a FarSeer." 

                "Tough breaks. I'd rather not know the future before it happens, even *if* it's only the most likely one at the time." Kris responded dryly, just as Tantras entered the room. 

                "You should have sent those two to obedience school." The dusky Herald replied, annoyed. 

                "'Those two' being Lyn and Tylendel?" Savil groaned. 

                "They don't listen to a word anyone says!" Tantras exploded in rare fury. "Can I kill them?" 

                "Wait in line. You're behind Savil and their drama teacher, in that order. Anyone else?" Kris asked. 

                "Sariel and Gala, I assume." Jaysen replied from the door and then came in. "Let the Companions get first crack at their recalcitrant Chosen. By the way, Savil, I assume you want to be on time for work? And Kris, don't you have that IB meeting about your extended essay?" 

                Savil looked at the clock and cursed, as Vanyel poked his head into the room.  Kris bit his lip: obviously, he was about to throw some words in there as well, though Savil could outcurse him and a lot of other people. 

                "Yes, I see you." Savil told her nephew. "Round up the usual bunch. Tell Lyn and Tylendel that if they don't get their acts together that I'm going to give them both a good old-fashioned whipping.  Then I'll inform Mr. Schmidt that they don't have any of their lines down." 

                Vanyel winced: he'd been on the receiving end of said drama teacher's wrath for not knowing only a few of his lines.  He pulled his head out of the room and ran off. 

                "That should get them going." Jaysen said, as Savil began rummaging through her purse for her keys. 

                This was going to be a long day. 

                :Chosen? I'd advise you to hurry up.: Kellan said. 

                Scratch that: it was going to be even longer.

***

                Vanyel chewed the end of his pen, as Mr. Trajtenberg put their notes on the board, about matter.  Lyn still had a dark scowl on her face, and he knew that she wasn't paying attention.  The young man hated chemistry, though it was easy.   He bent his attention back to the paper- 

                Just as pain exploded through his head. Emotions, thoughts, physical pain-whatever and wherever, it was there.   Fear, grief, disbelief, horror-all those and more flooded through his unprotected mind in the blink of an eye. Images, as he was abruptly somewhere else, looking through someone else's eyes, and Vanyel could hardly believe what he was seeing.  Death and destruction on a grand scale.  He fought to retain consciousness, as he was deluged in all these things at the same time-

                :Chosen!: a girl's voice yelled in his head, soothing and somehow serene, despite her panic. : No! Stay! Don't go!: 

                He lost.  Blackness took him. 

***

                The clock read 9:20.  Lyn bit her lip nervously: something terrible had happened, she knew. She had Felt the Web fluctuate-no, almost fall.  Something had happened to Vanyel-he'd fainted, and hadn't woken up. That had been almost an hour before, forty minutes actually, and he'd been taken to the hospital a long time before. Jackie Savage had come in a few minutes before, and had taken her sister Theresa outside into the hall to talk with her. Theresa had come back inside, and Lyn could Feel the turmoil within her. 

                :Chosen?: Sariel sounded almost frantic. 

                :What is going on?: Lyn asked. 

                :Something very terrible has happened.: 

                :Sariel, what? What happened?!: Lyn shouted. 

                :The-: and her Companion's voice was cut off. Utterly.  

                :Sariel?!: Lyn shrieked. Her Companion was still alive: but something was screwing up projective Mindspeech. Like…something didn't want word to be passed quickly, and it was sabotaging the Gift temporarily.  Even between Companion and Herald. 

                From far away, she could hear, in her mind, a bell begin to toll-the Death Bell.  Lyn's eyes widened, as she bowed her head. At least one Herald had just passed…but why? How? And then she realized…more then one.  

                Jackie walked back into the room, shaking and wide-eyed.  "You'll find this out eventually, so you might as well hear it now." the senior said sadly, a tear flowing down her cheek. "Terrorists have attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon." 

                The room fell silent.  Lyn closed her notebook and put it away. Now she knew how the Heralds had died. How thousands of people had died or would die before this day was over.  Thousands of innocents.  (Goddess, why? Who could have done such a thing? Who the hell is responsible for this?)

  She looked down at her hands: they were shaking.  Who knew what was going on in Washington, DC right now? With Mindspeech on the fritz, she couldn't just check…oh no. Oh no… 

Her father worked in DC. 

***

                Savil put down the dry erase marker when, in her mind, she heard the Death Bell ring.  Tylendel looked up and met her gaze soberly.  What could have possibly happened? Something was terribly wrong…

                Savil reeled and almost fell: now she understood the steady draining that she had been ignoring for the past forty minutes, the draining that had suddenly grown tenfold.  Lissandra, Kilchas, and Lancir were dead: she was the only Web-Guardian left, and she was the only thing holding the Web in place.  

                A light tapping came on the door.  "Come in." Savil said weakly, holding onto the edge of the board for support, just before she eased her old bones into a chair.  The door opened to reveal Kris Valerian, and the FarSeer looked like he was holding onto calm by the skin of his teeth. 

                "What is going on, lad?" Savil asked.  Mindspeech wasn't working: something was messing the Gift up. 

                Kris tried to say something, but the words couldn't get out of his mouth.  Finally, he explained what had happened in a soft whisper that nonetheless was quite audible: the room had gone silent, absolutely silent. 

                Savil bowed her head, in a failed attempt to hide her tears.  They'd had no inkling…not even Alberich, the strongest ForeSeer in a good long time, the strongest they had, had Seen anything.  Only Vanyel had had any vision at all…and it hadn't been enough, in the end.  Not enough to warn of this…horror. This tragedy. This…dammit, what could you say of something like this? The killing of innocents…it was something that the Heralds were supposed to guard against, shadow-guardians, but guardians nonetheless.  And they'd been caught as off-guard as anyone else…last night, after all the ForeSeers and a few FarSeers had been mysteriously struck down, the strongest Mindspeakers in this area had contacted all the Heralds, Herald-Mages, trainees, whatever, outside the Washington, DC. area, to see if any of them had any ForeSight.  None of them-and there were a good number, scattered all over the world-had Seen anything. In fact, it seemed like *every* ForeSeer had been struck with the same mysterious illness.  

                "Dammit…" Savil cursed impotently, slamming her fist against the table. 

                Kris bent and whispered something else in her ear.  Savil turned and looked at him. He nodded. 

Tylendel got up from his desk and walked over.  Her protégé had a 'thinking' look on his face. 

                "Something wanted to be sure we weren't warned about this." Tylendel whispered: it was obvious Mindspeech was *still* out.  "You said that *every* Herald or Herald-trainee with ForeSight got nailed. I'm betting that a good number of non-Heralds who have the Gift of ForeSight-those who *weren't* Chosen-got nailed as well." 

                Kris nodded: the three of them were having a hasty conference, here and now, especially because none of them could leave. Not yet, anyway. 

                "Some kind of power was blocking ForeSight, and FarSight as well." Kris added. Tylendel looked at him. "Remember, *I* was one of those who ended up with that mysterious 'sickness.' I don't have the ForeSight Gift. Not a trace." 

                "Lad, what were you doing right before you collapsed?" Savil asked, already seeing a pattern to this. 

                "I was trying to FarSee…" Kris muttered. 

                "Where?" Savil continued, trying to ignore the draining-just as Tylendel grabbed her hand and linked with her, already sending her much-needed energy.  

                Kris bit his lip. "Arlington, I think." 

                "Why? Why there, of all places? Yesterday, you wouldn't have known there was trouble brewing." Savil asked. 

                "I wasn't originally trying to FarSee there." Kris said. "I couldn't find my notes for my extended essay: I was trying to See into my locker to see if I'd left them there. Something…just pulled me away from there." 

                "So you ended up Seeing Arlington instead of your locker?" Savil asked. Kris nodded. 

                "Tantris said something about the fact that I should have enough control over my Gift to *not* jump around like that.  That was right before everything went black." 

                "What about Mela? She's a FarSeer too." 'Lendel asked. Kris shrugged. 

                "Maybe the same thing. I haven't talked to her yet today, so I wouldn't know." 

                "Only one thing can block Gifts like that." Savil interjected.  "And that same something was interfering with the Death Bell, whoever was behind the blocking didn't want any of us to know that something was wrong until it was too late to stop it.  Look at the timing." 

                She gestured at the television, where she had left the news on.  "I know of at least six Heralds who worked in the first tower of the World Trade Center.  Of those six, I *know* for sure that one of them is dead-Herald-Mage Kat Triley. She was one of those that Kyril spoke to asking about the ForeSight: she mentioned that she had a meeting today at 8:20, a long one. And she worked on the 100-something floor, near the top. She wouldn't have been able to get out in time. Not even the Mage-Gift will allow you to levitate-that's Fetching, which she didn't have- and making a Gate takes too long. Not to mention the fact that she wasn't quite strong enough to make a Gate. Close, but not enough.  The Bell would have rung when she died, which would be maybe about half an hour, or more, before it *did* ring.  It didn't.  Remember your history, you two-you certainly both read enough to know. What blocks mind-magic?" 

                Both their eyes widened, but it was Tylendel who spoke. "Dark sorcery. Especially blood-path magic." 

                "A very, very powerful Dark Adept is likely *allied* with whichever terrorist group is behind this." Kris mused. 

                "Good thinking, lad.  He or she wouldn't be directly responsible for the attack-why use airplanes as weapons when you've got magic, and said magic is strong enough to block all the ForeSeers and a few FarSeers, and now Mindspeech and the Bell-but definitely allied with the group. Why remains to be known, and who-both the group, and the Adept-but there's a Dark Adept in here." Savil said.  

                "A frighteningly powerful Adept." Tylendel muttered. "We're in trouble. It's not going to stop just with today. Not by a long shot. Not even by a short shot, either." 

                "No, lad. Not if it's who I think it is." Savil said darkly.  There was only one Dark Adept she had ever heard about who was powerful enough to do what they suspected. Only one.  It had been 10,000 years, but the man was certainly powerful enough to stay alive for all that time.  If it was indeed he…

                Then a battle was coming that would be unmatched in the 10,000 years-Velgarth reckoning: it would only be about 2000 years in current reckoning-since Velgarth had fallen.  A war that no one alive-besides the Dark Adept himself-had ever seen the likes of.  Yes, it would not end here. 

                Not if it was the Mage of Darkness allied with that terrorist group.  Not if it was the man she thought it was.

 Leareth. 

~End Chapter~


End file.
